Chapter Four
‡
“Brice called me twice. When he asked about you, I changed the subject. You should call him.”
Bennett could keep his opinion to himself. Although he was marrying into the family, it didn’t mean he wanted Brice intruding in his personal business. Brice had left Alex three voicemails while he was out with Ziva yesterday. He wasn’t in the mood to retrieve them then and still wasn’t now.
The family might be working on interacting with more normalcy, but they were far from their goal. If Brice had called so many times, he was going to use his eldest card. It might work with his other siblings, but Alex was immune.
“I have other things on my mind.” Like Ziva, and whatever the hell yesterday was all about.
He’d enjoyed himself on one of the most outrageous outings he’d ever been on with a woman. She was definitely not like other women. Figuring her out wasn’t going to be easy.
“Alex, one of us needs to tell him. I suggest it’s you.”
He didn’t want to hear about what Brice wanted. Alex was more interested in finding out what Bennett learned about Ziva.
“I asked you for information. What did you find?” Alex asked, changing the subject.
“You’re making a mistake.” He heard Bennett’s aggravation in his tone. Alex wasn’t about to waste any more time on the phone with him if he had nothing of any importance to say.
“Ziva. Now,” Alex barked.
“You spent the day with her and probably have more than I was able to find. This woman has kept herself out of the spotlight.”
Alex wished it were the case. They’d spoken for hours, but of nothing personal. “Give me what you have.”
“She’s twenty-nine years old. Both her parents are deceased. She had an older sister, Isa, but no one would confirm what happened to her. Isa would be a little older than you, if she were alive.”
“You think she was . . . abused?” Alex still couldn’t bring himself to say the words. The thought of paying for a virgin, an unwilling participant, made him beyond angry. Anyone involved in such acts should be shot. Yet, he was alive because his father came here and did exactly that. He needed to find answers and his mother. Then he had to shut down this fucked-up human trafficking ring for good. For that, he’d need the help of others. A lot of them.
“Alex, this is a common theme here. Young women around eighteen disappear, and no one speaks of them again. It’s a culture we can’t understand. I’m not sure anyone will open up about what is truly going on.”
That’s why I’m paying for a virgin. My hope is she’ll talk to me. Alex knew it wasn’t the smartest way to accomplish what he wanted, but it was the easiest. Although the girl would initially be scared shitless, after he explained his true purpose, hopefully she’d help. Maybe she’d have information on her kidnappers . . .
He wondered if Ziva had suffered at the hands of some sick bastard too. She was beautiful, and he could only imagine how valuable she was to them. He held the phone so tightly he thought he’d crush it. If he found out she was assaulted, he’d hunt the asshole down and kill him himself.
“Are you listening, Alex?” Bennett growled in annoyance.
He’d lost track of what Bennett was saying. Alex wasn’t going to pretend he’d been listening either. “No. Repeat it.”
“I was telling you about Ziva. Both her parents are deceased. There are rumors that as a minor she was sent away to have a baby. Yet, no one ever saw one, and she never spoke of a child to anyone. Somehow she was able to get a job as a secretary in the police department. When I dug deeper, it’s more of a file clerk and errand girl. In Tabiq, a married woman cannot work, and single ones rarely get jobs. It isn’t as though they’re uneducated. They believe a woman’s place is in the home, taking care of their husband and children. Since she has neither, she was fortunate to find a place that would hire her. Very few local jobs are considered okay for women.”
It didn’t sound fortunate to him, and by Bennett’s sardonic tone, he knew Bennett felt the same. She’d had a rough life in a horrible country. He still had questions about why she’d followed him when he first arrived. Ziva may be innocent in all this, but yesterday threw him off. Although he enjoyed himself, a ride to the prison wasn’t a place he’d expected to go with her. It hadn’t been by mistake. She’d intentionally taken him there. Why?
“I think she’s the one you want to get close to.”
“Ziva is staying in the room next to mine. I asked her yesterday if she’d heard any commotion in my room during the break-in. Although she denied it, I know she knows something.”
“Do you think she’s working with the police to watch you? If so, they know you’re not really here for a virgin. You could be in serious danger. We both could. I’ll do whatever I have to, but this is no two-man operation.”
Bennett was right. It could turn bad quickly. He had a few options. Let Bennett call in the Turchettas or call Brice. His gut was telling him he should do neither right now. Once either call was made, they would take control. It didn’t mean they wouldn’t get results, but the more Alex learned, the more he became personally involved.
“Give me a couple more days to see what I can find out. If things begin to go south, I’ll pull this mission.”
“Alex, I’ve been in a lot of rough places. If it turns, you won’t have time to reach out for help. It’ll be game over. They won’t care about your money then.”
I don’t care about it now. I only want to . . . He was losing focus on his role. First, it was to find his mother. Then stop this nightmare from happening to anyone else. Somewhere along the way he wanted to crush every person who was involved even the slightest. Anger definitely clouded his judgment. It was his choice, his risk, to move forward.
“Bennett, we’re in different stages of our lives right now. You have a child on the way and my sister to think about. It might be wise for you to bail now.”
“Hell, no. No man left behind. You stay, I stay. Got it?”
Selfish as it may be, he was hoping Bennett felt that way. The chances weren’t good, but without Bennett as backup, it was impossible. “Good. Do you think you can pull everything you can about the manager too? We know he’s in deep, but we don’t know if he’s being forced or is doing it out of greed.”
“Roger. Can I bring in one more guy? He can be trusted, and for the psychological piece, he’d be the one we need.”
“Do I know him?”
“Zoey’s met him. Doug Atwood. We served together, and I’d trust him with my life. Hell, I’ve had to already.”
“Make it happen. And make sure your friend keeps his mouth shut. The repercussions if my brothers find out won’t be good.”
“This guy knows the drill.”
Alex knew how much Bennett loved Zoey. If he trusted Doug around her, then he must be all right.
After they disconnected the call, Alex sat and waited. The manager was supposed to deliver his guest at noon. He was not prepared for this. He’d have to wing how to introduce the subject. There weren’t any right words to say, and he had no idea what she anticipated would happen. Yeah. Nothing awkward about this.
He lay back on the bed, closed his eyes, and tried to focus on anything other than who was about to come knocking on the door. Unfortunately, his mind went to a place not much better. Ziva was still in the adjoining room. How was he going to keep his companion for the night a secret from her? If she sees the young lady dropped off, there is no way she will believe me, even if I tell her nothing happened. Hell, why would she? She knows I’m James Henderson’s son. If I’m even a tenth of the man he was, I’m still a total asshole.
Alex figured it would be best to approach her ahead of time. He hadn’t heard anything from next door, not even her door opening or closing since they returned late last night. I should check on her. Make sure she’s okay.
It almost made him laugh. He’d never searched for a reason to knock on a woman’s door. Yet, here he
was, lost for words and trying to come up with an acceptable excuse. He pulled himself off the bed and headed toward the door. Alex didn’t need a reason to knock on a door of a room he was paying for. If she didn’t like it, she could vacate. Great. Now I sound like a jerk in my own head.
Just as he was about to open his door, his phone rang. Pulling it out of his pocket, he saw it was Brice. Come on. Get the hint. I don’t want to talk.
He declined the call, sending it to voicemail. That didn’t stop Brice as he instantly called Alex back. What the fuck?
“I hope this is important,” Alex barked as he answered the phone.
“Where the hell are you, Alex?”
“On vacation. Since I don’t work for you, I don’t need your approval to take one,” Alex responded snidely.
“Vacation? I don’t buy it. Bennett seems to be MIA as well. Is he on vacation too?”
Answering for Bennett was a bit more difficult. He didn’t care what Brice thought, but whatever he said would most likely make it back to Zoey. He never wanted to hurt her. She’d had enough pain and sadness already, brought on by their father. Choosing his words carefully he said, “I’m not Bennett’s keeper either. If you don’t have anything important to discuss, I’ve got someone waiting for me.”
“I’m no fool, Alex.”
Never thought you were. But if you think you can stop me, you’ve underestimated me. Just like everyone always has. “Nor am I, Brice.”
“You should’ve talked to me before doing this,” Brice said plainly. “There are things you don’t know.”
“Because you chose not to share them. This isn’t the time or the line to do so on.” Brice hadn’t called the SAT phone and as far as he knew, Brice shouldn’t know Alex had one either. So why the comment about secured lines? Was that a hint you know what I’m really up to? He wasn’t sure how tech savvy these guys were, but he wasn’t about to take any chances. There was a lot riding on the next few days. Pissing Brice off was the least of his worries. Doing so might make this look more real if anyone was listening. “Now if you don’t mind, I have a sweet young lady who should be arriving soon. We can finish this when I return to the States.”
Alex hung up the phone and slipped it in his pocket. He knew Brice was going to be ripping mad. Sure enough, his phone vibrated again. He didn’t need to look. Brice, if anything, was persistent. Stubborn runs in our genes. He may as well wake up and realize I’m in charge of my own life. I have been for a very long time.
He reached for the doorknob one more time. When he opened it, there was a young woman standing shyly on the other side. She was so tiny and fragile looking. They had her wearing a delicate white dress, surely not a mistake. She definitely looked the innocent virgin, and she was being forced to go to him.
He couldn’t imagine what must be going through her mind. No matter how sheltered she may have been, this would be horrifying for her. Don’t worry, little one. It’s not what you think. Not what any of them think. He wished he could tell her he wasn’t going to touch her or hurt her in any way.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a large man at the end of the hallway, watching the interaction. If Alex did or said something now to ease her mind, it might be a red flag that something was off. No matter how his heart ached for the young girl’s predicament, he couldn’t afford for this to look like anything other than him paying for a sexual service. One wrong move and he knew all hell would break out.
Alex hated it, but he needed the man down the hall to report back that all was okay. Reaching out, he brushed some of her long dark hair from her face. She didn’t budge but squeezed her eyes shut. With her no longer looking at him, Alex gave the guy what he needed. My approval for the product. “Nice. Very nice.”
He hoped that was enough, because scaring this child any more didn’t sit well with him. I’d rather take a bullet than hurt her.
Alex needed them out of sight. Reaching out a hand, he took hers gently. Her hand was shaking as he held it. It was like a punch in his gut, but he needed to push forward.
“Come in.” He led her inside and shut the door behind them.
Once inside, he walked her over to the couch, let go of her hand, and said, “Please sit down.” With trembling legs, she did as he asked. He was going to sit too, but he needed a few minutes. Alex had rehearsed what he was going to say over and over. With her here in front of him, his words didn’t seem to be enough. Why should she believe me?
He had to try. He’d come this far. Letting her leave without going through with what he’d paid for wasn’t an option because they would know this had all been a sham. He needed to find a way to make every disgusting thing look as though it happened, without even touching this girl. It’s not just me who needs to be a good liar. I’m banking on someone who doesn’t know me from a hole in the wall. And that’s when he realized there was a large hole in his plan. If he wasn’t able to stop the assholes involved in the ring, what would happen to the girl before him? Either way, he was condemning her life. She’d be ostracized from her family and put on the streets. How would he protect her? Could he protect her? Shit. What do I do with her?
He took a deep breath and sat down across from her. “Do you speak English?”
The girl nodded. That’s a start. I don’t know what I would do if she didn’t. It sure as hell would’ve been a short conversation. From what Alex had observed, most people in Tabiq spoke their language and English when they chose to.
“My name is, Alex. What’s yours?”
“Myla,” she said, looking down at the floor, and her hands folded tightly in her lap.
“I’m not going to hurt you.”
She didn’t look up, but he noticed her flinch. Of course, that’s a line that most women have heard, right before the creep hurts them.
“I only want to talk. Will you talk to me?”
Myla tensed even more but nodded.
“How old are you?”
“Eighteen.” Her voice was barely a whisper as she answered.
At least she’s legal. Just not a willing participant. “Did they tell you why you’re here?”
Myla nodded again. Alex could see her lip quiver and tears pool in her eyes. He was trying to ease into the conversation. Maybe that was the wrong approach. Going too quickly might scare the shit out of her. Can it really get any worse? She knows why she’s here, only waiting for me to pounce. Anything has to be better than that.
So much flew through Alex’s mind. He wasn’t sure what to tell her. He needed her to stay with him for the entire duration. If she decided to bolt, it’d bring questions. Questions he couldn’t and didn’t want to answer. Tying her down and gagging her was out of the question. She wasn’t his prisoner. She was already traumatized when she was ripped from her own family. He needed to do something very difficult for him. I’m going to have to trust in someone I don’t know.
The worst thing would be if she didn’t listen and ran out of the room, heading straight to the hotel manager and told him everything. Alex’s only recourse would be to call Bennett and have him come in shooting. Take out a few of the bastards along the way. Of course, that was a plan fraught with holes.
Alex wished he knew something about her. It’d give him an edge to work with. Instead, he was going in blind. If I can pull this off, it sure as hell will make one fucking amazing research story for my next book, if nothing else. But damn, I’m hoping for more than that. I’m going for it all. I want this ring shut down, and I want to find my mother. I’m not exactly sure what I want to tell her, but I want her to know I’m sorry. Sorry for any brutality she experienced at the hands of my father. To make life easier for her if there is a way I can. I want to pay for the debt she’s carried.
It was time to go big or go home as they say. Here goes nothing. “I’m going to tell you some things, and I need you to trust me. If you don’t, it’s going to be very dangerous for both of us. Do you understand?”
Myla nodded, but he wasn’t sure she grasped w
hat he was trying to say to her. “I trust you.” Her body language said differently.
“Do you know who I am?”
“Yes.”
“And do you know who my father was?”
Alex watched a tear rolled down Myla’s cheek. “Yes.”
It should surprise him that someone so young would know who James Henderson was. It had been thirty years since his father had come here. Unfortunately that was based on the birthdate of his youngest sibling. His father’s travels documented that it should’ve been. One can hide a lot for the right price. What had allured him still existed here, so it was possible he continued to visit. If he did, could there be more children we don’t know about? Damn, the questions are endless, and the answers nil. He could only imagine what his father may have done to leave such a lasting impression. Even through the generations. How many women suffered at his hands? How many families were ripped apart due to his greed?
He reached out to the tissue box on the coffee table and pulled out a Kleenex. He hoped he wouldn’t require one for himself. Just thinking of what his father had done here shook him to the core. Handing the Kleenex to Myla he said, “I’m not my father.”
“No. You’re his son,” Myla said, her voice filled with contempt.
One of them. It was apparent she didn’t understand what he was trying to tell her. “I am his son, but I do not act like he did. Or treat people the way he did.” Alex knew it was going to take a hell of a lot more than just words to convince her. Understandably, he was being judged by his father’s actions, which had been the same throughout their lives.
Myla looked up and met his eyes. “I don’t understand.”
He was going to try his best to explain the difference, without detailing what they both already knew about his father. They were words Alex couldn’t verbalize. He had no idea how someone as young as Myla comprehended such horrific acts. It’s sad that it’s a lifestyle she doesn’t believe she can fight against. I’m here to end that, hopefully. “James Henderson was a very evil man, and he hurt a lot of people.” Even his own children. “I don’t hurt people.” Or try not to.
His For Five Nights Page 5